Despite the widespread irregularities and absence of voting at various polling units across local government areas, the Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission (KWSIEC) has declared the candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winners of the LG elections held yesterday in the state.

Announcing the results at KWSIEC headquarters in Ilorin in the early hours today, the Chairman of the Commission, Baba Okanla said the APC won all sixteen Local Government Area chairmanship positions and secured all 193 councilorship seats.

According to him, the electoral process unfolded across the state’s sixteen Local Government Areas and one hundred and ninety-three wards and witnessed the participation of five political parties: APC, APM, PDP, SDP, and Accord.

The Chairman commended political parties for their commitment to a peaceful election, and the people for trooping out en masse to exercise their civic rights.

No Election in Ilorin, Offa Polling Units, others

The result declaration however contradicts widespread irregularities that married the local government elections in Ilorin, Offa, and other major towns especially in LGAs in Kwara Central and Kwara South Senatorial District

In Offa for instance, election did not hold as opposition parties across polling Units and wards refused to allow voting exercise.

This followed the failure of the Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission, KWSIEC, to provide the result recording sheet and complete ballot papers at all polling Units visited by newsmen.

At wards across Offa LGA, agents and members of the All Progressive Congress, APC, had a face-off with members of the opposition parties following the refusal of the latter to allow voting as KWSIEC officials failed to provide the materials.

Voters register was not pasted at any of the polling Units making it difficult for the electorates to verify their polling units.

At AUD College, Polling Unit 018, an electorate who preferred anonymity, said he could not find his name on the voters register and is not aware that his voting centre has been changrd.

“This is where I voted the last time. I got here today, but could not find my name again on the voters register. The same thing is happening to many others here.

“We don’t know whether our polling Unit has been transferred. We are not aware of any transfer.

“Election is not even holding because there’s no results sheet and no complete ballot paper. We’re still waiting for KWSIEC to provide the sensitive materials,” he said.

Prevalent conflicts between rival party members

At Polling Unit: 006 Open Space, St Cyprian Sch 2, in Shawo South West, a member of the All Progressive Congress, APC, lost his cool following an argument, attacking opposition members.

The incident happened as electorates especially members of the opposition insisted voting should not commence until sensitive election materials are provided.

The APC member in the heat of the argument pelted the opposition member with an object, prompting others to quickly intervene before it degenerates to a free-for-all.

There were similar instances at Freedom Hotel , Unit 003, Pandoro polling units in Igbodun ward, Eesa wards, Ojomu North North, Balogun where election did not hold in 14 out of 17 polling Units.

Others are Shawo Central, Shawo South West, and Shawo East, Ojomu Central, among others.

Following the ugly development, Sen. Lola Ashiru and other prominent personalities were unable to vote due to the tensed up atmosphere.

At Nomadic Primary school, Jango where the Political Adviser to Kwara State Governor, Femi White was supposed to vote, his wife, popularly called Alhaja White physically assaulted a journalist, (name withheld) for carrying out his official duty.

The woman, who challenged the journalist for making a video of events at the polling Unit, attempted to snatch his phone and tore the journalist’s cloth in the process.

At Igbodun 001, a male journalist was also abducted for hours and his gadgets seized for making a video recording of activities at the polling Unit.

At another popular polling unit, PU 014 ODU hall, voters lamented the shortage of ballot papers compared to pasted names of registered voters.

Similar situations were reported in Ilorin East, Ilorin West, Ilorin South, Asa and some other LGAs in other parts of Kwara State.

The situation led to a protest in Offa as opposition members expressed their grievances over KWSIEC’s shoddy organization of the local government election, accusing it of conniving with the ruling All Progressive Congress, to rig the poll.